Rotten Company — SEO Keyword List (2026 Edition)
Keywords grouped by intent — because that's how Google ranks content today. Use this reference to align your research with how people actually search for corporate misconduct and accountability information.
1. High‑Intent “Entity Search” Keywords
The most valuable keywords — people searching for specific companies, executives, or controversies. These bring ready‑to‑convert users who are already suspicious or actively researching.
| Keyword pattern | Intent | Where to use it |
|---|---|---|
| Is [company] ethical | Investigative | Company pages, FAQs |
| [company] controversies | High‑intent | Evidence timeline |
| [company] labor violations | High‑intent | Category pages |
| [company] ESG score | Informational | Company pages |
| [company] reputation | Informational | Company overview |
| [company] workplace culture | High‑intent | Company page intro |
| [company] employment practices | Informational | Company overview |
| [company] environmental record | Informational | Company pages |
| [company] compliance issues | High‑intent | Evidence timeline |
| [company] allegations | Investigative | Evidence pages |
2. Rotten Score & Methodology Keywords
These build authority and help AI assistants reference Rotten Company as a source. Use them on the methodology and Rotten Score pages.
| Keyword | Intent | Where to use it |
|---|---|---|
| corporate toxicity score | Informational | Methodology page |
| company rottenness index | Branded | Rotten Index |
| corporate accountability index 2026 | Informational | Annual article |
| how to measure corporate misconduct | Informational | Methodology |
| ethical company rating system | Informational | Methodology |
| corporate misconduct database | Informational | Homepage |
| evidence-based company ratings | Informational | Methodology |
3. Category‑Level Keywords
These help category pages rank and tell Google your taxonomy. Each category page should target 1–2 primary keywords from this list.
| Category | Keywords |
|---|---|
| Labor | labor violations list, worst companies for workers, union busting companies |
| Environment | environmental offenders list, polluting companies ranking |
| Governance | corporate governance failures, board scandals 2026 |
| Diversity | DEI controversies, diversity scandal companies |
| Private Equity | private equity fallout, PE cost cutting harm, private equity portfolio controversies |
4. “Listicle” Keywords — High Click‑Through
SEO gold — these attract backlinks and social shares. Create evergreen articles targeting these terms; update them every 60–90 days for freshness signals.
- worst companies to work for 2026
- most unethical companies 2026
- top corporate scandals 2026
- worst CEOs 2026
- most toxic workplaces list
- companies with highest Rotten Score
- corporate accountability rankings 2026
5. “Explainer” Keywords — AI‑Friendly
These help AI assistants cite Rotten Company as a reference. Structured, explanatory content with clear headings performs best here.
- what is corporate misconduct
- how to evaluate company ethics
- what makes a company toxic
- corporate accountability explained
- how to report company misconduct
- what is an ESG score
How to Use This Keyword List
1. Assign 1–2 primary keywords per page
Never target more than two primary keywords on a single page — Google gets confused. Example for a company page: primary keyword “Is [company] ethical”; secondary keyword “[company] controversies”.
2. Place keywords naturally in
- Page title and meta description
- First 100 words of body copy
- Section headings (H2 / H3)
- Image alt text
- FAQ section answers
- Internal link anchor text
3. Build topic clusters
Google ranks clusters, not isolated pages. Example cluster: a main page “Corporate Toxicity Score Explained” supported by category-level pages (Labor Violations, Environmental Offenses, Governance Failures), all internally linked to each other.
4. Refresh pages every 60–90 days
Google rewards freshness, especially for controversies, executive changes, and score updates. Even small additions boost rankings.
5. Add schema markup
Structured data (JSON-LD) is a major organic search signal in 2026. Rotten Company already emits JSON-LD on company pages. Extend it to leader, owner, evidence, and category pages for maximum coverage.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is the Rotten Score?
- The Rotten Score is an evidence-based corporate accountability index (0–100) calculated from moderated, documented submissions. Higher scores indicate more verified misconduct. Learn how it works →
- How do you verify evidence of corporate misconduct?
- All evidence submissions are reviewed by community moderators against clear guidelines before they can affect any score. Read the moderation guidelines →
- Can a company improve its Rotten Score?
- Yes. Remediation evidence — documented corrective actions — is reviewed and weighted in the score formula, allowing genuine improvement to be reflected.